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Gansler Outlines Policies to Boost Manufacturing

A machine sorts pencils at the Faber-Castell factory on July 5, 2011 in Stein near Nuremberg, Germany. Faber-Castell is among Germany's leading manufacturer of pencils, pens, art supplies, office supplies and high-end writing instruments, and was founded in Stein in 1761 by Kaspar Faber. Through a marriage in 1900 to the noble Castell family the company took its present name and is currently lead by Count Anton von Faber-Castell. The company still has two production plants in Germany but has its biggest manufacturing centers overseas, including in South America, Indonesia and China. The company will mark its 250th anniversary on July 8.

Gansler, who is planning a run for governor, held a forum on Friday in Hagerstown.

He says he would like to revise the procurement and grant policies for all state agencies to give preference to goods and services manufactured or provided by Maryland businesses, if they are competitively priced or of comparable quality.

Gansler also says he believes industrial business zones across the state should be identified to facilitate the growth of Maryland’s manufacturing hubs.

The attorney general is holding a series of forums around the state to discuss policy ideas.

The event in Hagerstown is the second one. Last month, he held a forum in Rockville focused on initiatives to prevent domestic violence.